Mini-review: Cloopband, the somewhat pricey but very convenient magnetic cable ties
As regular readers will know, I think wires are evil. To the extent that they are unavoidable, they should be invisible. And if they can’t be invisible, they should at least be neat.
I’ve also found you can never predict when you’re going to need a cable, so I keep one of each of the main types – Lightning, MiniUSB and MicroUSB – in each of the bags I use to carry a MacBook. I’ve tried various methods of wrapping them, from rubber bands (fiddly and they break) through velcro (collect fluff and lose their stickiness) to releasable cable-ties (neat but fiddly).
But I think I’ve finally found a solution that Just Works. Cloopbands are rubberized cable wraps with magnetic ends that can be applied and removed in a second.
Cloop suggests you semi-permanently attach the bands to your cables like so:
Personally, I didn’t find that necessary, but I can see that it could be useful for some.
The company also sells a small bar magnet, the idea being that you attach this to your desk and then your Cloopband-wrapped cables stick to that. Again, that wasn’t for me, and the bar is so small it would only work for a few anyway.
The one downside of Cloopbands? The price. They’re available in two sizes, small and large, in packs of three. Small bands cost $9.99 for three – and cope with most cables – while the larger size is $11.99 for three. Fine for a single set of cables, but if, like me, you have enough cables to rewire a power station, that could soon add up. You can claim a 15% discount on orders of over $20 by following the company on social media.
If Cloopbands are not for you, there are plenty of other cable management products available on Amazon, for both desk and mobile use.
Cloopbands are available on the company’s store from $3.99 for individual bands.